It may feature blood, skeletons and not-so-dead thieves, but that doesn't mean that "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" is without humor, both onscreen and off. Just ask Johnny Depp.

"There were moments when it was like the comedy stylings of Depp and [Orlando] Bloom," the actor reported about making the swashbuckling romp, which hits theaters this week.

Loosely based on the Disney theme-park attraction, "Pirates" stars Depp as the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow whose ship, the Black Pearl, was taken by his mutinous and now undead crew. No stranger to sword-fighting tales, Bloom plays a young man far outside of his social class attempting to save the love of his life, played by "Bend It Like Beckham"'s Keira Knightley. (Click here for photos from the movie.)

The "Lord of the Rings" actor saw "Pirates" primarily as a chance to work with one of his heroes. "I think that any actor of my generation will tell you that, growing up, there are a few guys that are really kicking it, and [Depp] is one of them," proclaimed the 26-year-old Bloom. "He's one of them, in terms of morphing into characters, being really one of the best-looking guys onscreen and managing to always do something different."

Though he was something of a teen idol on TV's "21 Jump Street," Depp has since become known for choosing quirkier, more challenging material over the years, like "From Hell," which was based on a graphic novel written by similarly eccentric comic book scribe Alan Moore.

Another Alan Moore comic-turned-movie will challenge Depp's latest picture at the box office this week. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" is about a group of characters from classic literature — including Allan Quatermain, Captain Nemo, the Invisible Man, Tom Sawyer and Dr. Jekyll — who form an "X-Men"-like super team in the Victorian Age. It stars an ensemble cast headed up by Sean Connery, Stuart Townsend ("Queen of the Damned") and Shane West ("A Walk to Remember"). (Click here for photos from the movie.)